A Complete Guide to Character Meals at Disneyland Resort

***Ariel’s Grotto closed for Pixar Pier developments. I’ll update this post as soon as a replacement option is available.

For many, a visit to Disneyland isn’t complete until they share a meal with a Disney character. I’ve researched your options, below, with details on each so that you can find the best fit for your family. If you’re considering making that meal reservation, know these things before you commit.

A few notes:

Ariel’s Grotto (noted below) went on hiatus starting 1.8.2018 while Paradise Pier transforms into Pixar Pier. As of now, a replacement princess meal has not been announced. I’ll update this post if one is shared. The pier is expected to be totally transformed by June 23, 2018.

There are five options for character dining at DLR. Three are within the resort hotels, one is at Disneyland and one is at California Adventure.

Theme park tickets are required to enjoy a dining option at the parks.

A hotel room stay is not required to enjoy a character meal at one of the DLR hotel restaurants.

Reservations are highly recommended and can be made up to 60 days in advance. All reservations can be made online or you can call (714) 781-DINE (3463) between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM daily (Pacific Time).

You will not have to pay for children under the age of 3, however, include them in your party count when making a reservation. That way, the restaurant can accommodate accurate seating for your group. Children age 2 and under can eat off your plate or you can bring food for them.

Three character meals are labeled as Premium. Those are Goofy’s Kitchen, Surf’s Up!, and Ariel’s Grotto. Minnie’s in the Park and Storyteller’s Cafe are not Premium. If you pre-purchase vouchers from Disney or a travel agency, you will need to know which is which. I recommend using Get Away Today for character meal vouchers. They include tax and tip (18%), which will added to your bill at the time of payment. Book through Get Away Today at this link. In some cases, you won’t save money and the pricing will come out even. I used these vouchers for Storyteller’s Cafe in November 2017 and saved a total of $7 per person.

A few tips:

Character meals are priced a bit higher than other meals throughout the parks, however, there is a lot to be gained with these experiences. You can avoid standing in line for signatures and photos during park times, you get personal interaction with the the characters and you can achieve a more memorable experience during character meals.

There is no need to follow characters around throughout your meal. They come to you! Be sure to pack your autograph book!

Characters vary throughout meals and there are no guarantees you will see specific ones. The only absolute is that you will see the character whose name is included in your meal’s name. IE: Goofy will be at Goofy’s Kitchen.

Small children may be overwhelmed with life size, enthusiastic characters interacting with them. Consider this before making a reservation.

To ensure the most time available for rides and attractions, I recommend choosing one of the three DLR hotel character dining experiences (unless you time it just perfectly – more on that later), perhaps on the day you arrive or leave. This way, you don’t interfere with precious park time.

If you are going during the hotter months, consider a lunch option to escape the heat and sit down for a while. While breakfast is a nice way to go, those hours are best used if you’re serious about riding a lot.

Strollers are not permitted in any of the five restaurants with character meals.

If you are dining at one of the meals at a Disneyland Resort Hotel and driving in only for that meal, park at the hotel and ask for your ticket to be validated. You’ll receive free parking up to 3 hours with your paid meal.

DLR Hotel Dining Options

The main idea: Mickey waffles, buffet or other menu items are enjoyed while mingling with Chip n Dale and friends.

What’s unique: Unusual characters are often spotted here, including Brother Bear and hard-to-find woodland critters. They often do the hokey pokey and the entertainment is lively and energetic. Check out a previous visit to the breakfast. And, one from February 2017, too.

This is a great option for only those who have experienced the classics. I agree. It’s one of my favorites, but the well known characters do not attend this meal.

Typical (but not guaranteed characters): Brother Bears Kenai and Koda, Chip n Dale, Meeko, and Brer Fox. (I’ve heard recently that Pluto has been appearing in place of Koda.) *****Note: this is the only character meal that is not included in the PhotoPass+ program.

Cost: American fare ($36 for adults, $21 for children for breakfast; $43 for adults and $25 for children for dinner)

The main idea: With table service and a buffet, this classic Disney character experience is a favorite because of its lively ambiance. Dancing is a must when Goofy’s around. Unfortunately, this is not my favorite meal due to limited interaction between characters and guests – I believe – due to the size of this character meal. We had brief encounters with each of my visits, although they did all make it to our table once. As with all meals, I’ll be reviewing this option again soon and will update this post with any changes.

What’s unique: This is your only opportunity for a character dinner, in or out of the parks. It is also the only place to find Goofy’s famous Peanut Butter and Jelly Pizza. Kids LOVE this option because of the huge amount of “kid food”. Check out one of our visits from 2015 so you know what to expect. My most recent visit can be found here, which was in January 2017.

The main idea: Mickey Mouse and friends cause mischief throughout the beach-themed restaurant, stealing sips of milk and acting silly. This meal is very interactive and has proven to be one of the best available.

What’s unique: Mickey is a guarantee here and is only spotted at this dining experience. Check out a recent visit. Outside of the Disney Visa meet-n-greet at DCA, this is your only option to meet Stitch. Here is a link to my visit in February 2017.

This meal is an excellent opportunity to meet both Mickey and Minnie without standing in line in the parks, which will save you about a half hour in your park visit. I agree.

In the Park Options

***This meal went on hiatus starting 1.8.2018 while Paradise Pier transforms into Pixar Pier. As of now, a replacement princess meal has not been announced. I’ll update this post if one is shared.

Location: California Adventure Park, Ariel’s Grotto Restaurant

Menu: Breakfast and Lunch

Cost: American fare with healthy options and vegetarian cuisine ($40for adults and $25for children for breakfast; $45 for adults and $30 for children for lunch)

The main idea: Ariel and her princess friends interact with guests as they eat.

What’s unique: This is the only table service, higher-end character dining option and is a princess fan favorite. Food presentation delights young kids at this ‘fancy’ meal.

This meal is the absolute authority when it comes to princesses. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and you can check out photos from my recent visit. Sit outside if you’re comfortable with the weather, as the photos are beautiful with the water/park as a backdrop.

The main idea: Minnie and friends mingle at this breakfast on-site, with seating inside and out. Most people like indoor seating better because interaction is a bit more likely and weather isn’t a factor. I’ve dined outside several times and have had great experiences each time, however.

What’s unique: You can enjoy a view of the entrance to Tomorrowland while you dine and the Astro Orbitor is in view. Check out out photos for more details from a recent visit. Find more photos from another visit here. And, here. And, here, which was in January 2017. I visited again in late May of 2017, but didn’t post enough about it to share here. But, it was awesome. (I’m obsessed.)

Most people love this meal for both the food and interaction with characters, plus the amount of characters you’re likely to see. I completely agree!

Typical (but not guaranteed characters): Chip n Dale, Minnie, Hook, Tigger, Eeyore, Fairy Godmother, Winnie the Pooh, Max, and Rafiki. (By far the most I’ve seen at a character meal – and they have GREAT interaction. This is my favorite character meal. I saw Pinocchio last visit! Others have reported seeing the mice from Cinderella.

Character meals are a special way to celebrate at Disneyland. Choose the best meal for your family, make your reservation ASAP and prepare for the fun ahead!

Some More Tips

*Use the Disney Parks App to locate characters outside of your committed meal times if you don’t get to see the ones you want during your dining arrangements.

*My absolute favorite character meal is the Breakfast in the Park with Minnie and Friends. Here is why. It’s hosts the most characters, the characters and super interactive and attentive, and it’s in the best setting, as far as I’m concerned. Schedule this for 10:00 or 10:30am, so that after you arrive early for the early hours to enjoy the parks with fewer crowds and less chaos, escape to a nice meal right as the the people arrive. You will love this break from the crowds. Be sure to try the French Toast, too, with Banana’s Foster topping.

*My favorite for ambiance and setting is Storyteller’s Cafe, however, it does not include classic characters and I only recommend this one for those who have done the classics. I also believe they have the best food.

*Because the one day ($39/day) is no longer an option (currently), I recommend you purchase MaxPass ($10/day) for the day you are visiting the parks if you have a character meal booked that day. With MaxPass, your character meal images will be covered. If you are doing a character meal on a non-park day, you cannot purchase MaxPass to cover your images because you have to enter a park in order to purchase MaxPass. In this case, your best option is to buy the physical prints offered to you at the meal by a cast member when he or she comes to your table while you’re dining. With the prints offered to you (at around $35 a set), you will receive the digital images for them via a code included in the photo package. If you have MaxPass purchased, all PhotoPass perks are extended to you for the day of purchase.

*While I list the characters you’re most likely to see at each meal, there is no guarantee that every one of these characters will greet you at your table. Characters do their best to accommodate every table, but occasionally, you might miss one. Character focused cast members are on site. If you feel that you’re not seeing enough interaction, kindly approach a cast member and ask if he or she can help. Disney wants you to have the best experience possible.

*Each meal is set up a little differently. With some, you will check in and pay upon arrival. Others will include receiving the check at the end of the meal. You may leave gratuity at any/all of the meals.

*Premium Character meals are considered to be Goofy’s Kitchen, Surf’s Up!, and Ariel’s Grotto. This is a Disney added label. I prefer other meals that don’t include the ‘premium’ label.

*As mentioned before, I recommend the latest dining time possible for breakfast so that you don’t miss out on the less crowded park time early in the morning. With that latest time, you will still have an average of an hour prior to when characters depart from the meals. Disney won’t schedule you for a 10:30am meal and have the characters take off at 10:45am. They account for an hour past the latest reservation so that guests see as many characters are possible.

*Most character meals include specific buttons designed to show you enjoyed a meal there that day. Grab one for each person in your party upon check in.

*If you make your reservation prior to official park opening, you will need to take your reservation confirmation (email or via your mobile) to the gate marked for such. You will be allowed to enter for your time, even without EMH or Magic Morning. Do NOT use your EMH or Magic Morning for a character meal. Save it to use another day. Find more on EMH and Magic Morning in this post.

259 COMMENTS

Everyone will have a magic morning but I have an annual passport so I won’t. If you book a character meal for Minnie’s Breakfast on a magic morning day, can you stay in the park even though you don’t have magic morning on your ticket?

I have been looking everywhere but I haven’t found anything. Do you know if they will still have some sort of dining with Princesses once Ariel’s Grotto closes? We aren’t going until October so I am sure it will change but I am curious.

We had a really nice surprise at Goofy’s Kitchen! We did the character dinner there at the end of September and Mickey was there for a special appearance! We even got special Dinner Time Magic buttons that had Mickey and Goofy on them! The food wasn’t the greatest but we had a lot of fun with the characters! We did the prepaid vouchers from GetAwayToday and it couldn’t have been easier! Your help was essential to a wonderful experience!!

Hi,
We (family of 5) are visiting Disney next May from Australia and as we will be staying offsite (Courtyard Waterpark) and will only get 1 extra magic hour in the morning, is it better for us to book breakfasts earlier so once we’ve finished we can make our way to the rides?
Thankyou
Kaydee G

Hi,
We are doing Minnie for breakfast (before 10) and Goofys for dinner another day and wanted to do storytellers brunch. Do you have any info on that. is it the same as breakfast? Price, characters, food?

The Storytellers Brunch is the same as the breakfast (if you’re wanting to do the Critter character breakfast, as described in this post). They also have a lunch and dinner option, but those times don’t include characters. All the details for each meal that include characters are in this post. Hope that helps!

Just joined the breakfast this morning at Surf’s Up. The price came out to be around $92 for 2 adults, $2 less than the voucher value sold by getawaytoday.com. Thus, I guess it’s not a good idea to purchase the voucher in advance.

Thank you, Lytaki, for that info. Did the $92 include tax and tip? The vouchers should cover everything. They’re a small savings, but they typically save you a bit of money and provide the ability to pay in advance and have it all taken care of. Plus, you can lock in the current pricing in case the meals increase in price by the time you travel.

Hey Casey- I know you’re busy right now with your family and Halloween. I’m very sorry to hear about your sister, deepest condolences.
I was just wondering if the Photopass photographers take more than just the entrance pictures? Are they following the characters throughout the meal? If not, how likely would other cast members be willing to take pics for us on my camera? I’ve got Plaza Inn late breakfast, and Ariel’s Grotto lunch booked on our second day. It’s just going to be my daughter and I. I always struggle to get pics of us together with characters unless a Photopass Photographer is near.
Also, I’ll have Maxpass for both days, so we should be good to go with Photopass+ right?

If you’re doing MaxPass, no need to buy PhotoPass in addition to that. With MaxPass, you will have all the perks of PhotoPass – but no prints. You’ll get images from around the parks, with characters, and on attractions, too.

PhotoPass photographers take only your photo at the beginning of your character meal. They don’t follow around the characters. But, you can certainly take selfies or ask a guest at a neighboring table to take photos. Cast members will also be happy to use your camera if they’re nearby the characters as they wander the meal.

Check out this part of my PhotoPass post to learn more about where and how to find photographers:

First off I wanted to say that we are sorry for the loss to you and your family. Our deepest sympathies.
We have a trip in Nov and tried to book the Plaza Inn for a character dine but they aren’t taking any reservations for Nov at all. We are within 60 days. Do you know what might be happening or when it will be available to book?

Thank you, Chris. I haven’t heard of any issues at the Plaza Inn for your timing. I bet it’s the usual delay in Disneyland adding dining to the reservation option. Check each day and call in if I can help! 714.781.DINE is the number.

Hi Casey,
We will be at Disneyland in the first week of October.
I have booked Minnie’s breakfast in the Park at Plaza Inn for our second Morning. I originally booked the breakfast for 10.30am as we plan on using the EMH that day. The park schedule hasn’t been released yet, however it seems to be opening at around 9/10am each morning in September. Assuming this will be the same in October, is it perhaps better to secure an earlier reservation at around 7/7.30am?
Thanks so much for all of your help!

That’s a great idea. Try very hard not to interfere with those first two hours that the park is open, regardless of the official park opening time. 10:30am is ideal for an 8:00am opening. If you can go prior to park opening, go for it.

Hi! I´m going to Disney on september (and I have park hooper, because I have just one day to meet both parks). The day that we are going the DCA opens at 10am and Disneylando too (but it has magic morning at 9am at Disneyland). So, I would like to book Ariel´s Grotto or The Plaza Inn before the park opens (to try to enjoy the park a little bit earlier and after the breakfast run right trough a line for a popular attraction). So…How much time earlier (from the resevation) can I get into the park? And how much time takes to eat the breakfast? (If we are in a hurry to go enjoy the park!).

I recommend Minnie’s in the Park over Ariel’s Grotto so that you can see a variety of characters – and so many! That meal typically has 10-11 characters, where as Ariel’s and the others only have around 5.

We have an early Storyteller’s breakfast booked for our trip. Where’s the entrance from DTD to get into the GCH for this? Silly question, I know, but in all our trips we’ve never been inside the GCH! Thanks!

Hi,
We are looking at taking your recommendation and booking the Minnie’s breakfast for 10.30am and use our Early Morning Entry that day before breakfast. If you pre book the dining can you also prebook the Early Morning Entry? As otherwise what happens if it is not available that day? And what time is it from?

You can’t “book” Magic Morning or Extra Magic Hour. But, a reservation for this meal or any other is separate from an early entry privilege. You don’t have to have EMH or MM to dine prior to park opening.

If EMH or MM is not scheduled for the day you have your meal scheduled, you will still be granted entry at the gate noted for reservations. I included it at the bottom of this post. You just have to show your reservation confirmation number. Enjoy!

Hi!! We are going in november for our daughters 10 th bday and Im having a hard time deciding which to go to. We have breakfast provided at the hotel so leaning towards a late lunch… thoughts or ideas??

Love your site! We are heading there in September. The park opens at 10am so I was thinking of doing a character dining at a hotel before opening so we don’t waste Park time. Do you have any transportation suggestions to the character dining at hotels when you don’t have a car? We had planned to take Uber from the airport and bring our kids boosters. If we had to take Uber to the character dining, we don’t want to carry around booster seats.

Hi, Melissa! I recommend Lansky for travel to the hotel from the airport. They have car seats and boosters. And they stop at the grocery en route to your hotel so you can stock up on snacks and bottled water, which will save you money in the parks. And no carrying boosters! Find Lansky and other companies I recommend here:

Quick question – we were planning on doing a Goofy’s Kitchen breakfast and have a 3-day park hopper ticket. We are going to visit the park on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Can we book the breakfast on the day we are NOT going to the park? We don’t want to waste precious time that could be spent on the rides!

Hey Casey, love your articles and FB page. We’ve been to DLR twice and WDW once from Australia and heading to Anaheim again in Sept 2017!

We’ve done the Plaza inn breakfast twice and loved it. However now we want to try something else. Do you think it’s still worthwhile doing one of the hotel breakfasts late in the morning (I also agree that the early starts in the park allow you to do SO MUCH.). What would you say is a safe amount of time to allow to get from inside a park to, say, Disneyland Hotel for Goofy’s. The nicest part about Plaza inn is that it’s right there on Main St so you don’t take much time out of your day to get there.

Or, would it be best to tackle the hotel breakfasts first thing in the morning so that you don’t have to get into the parks, leave the parks then get back into the parks after the breakfast.

Great question. I love Storytellers and it’s closer than Goofy’s Kitchen. I think I would choose that over Goofy’s. Do Goofy’s for dinner instead if you’re set on that option. It’s rare to get a dining time early enough to allow you to get to the park an hour prior to official park opening. Agree that Minnie’s is so convenient! Love Surf’s Up!, too. But, it’s also far away. September hours will give you a 9am or 10am opening for the park. With that in mind, check the schedule when it’s time to schedule the meal and see if you can get a 7am timing, which would give you time to get to park and line up early.

Yikes!!! I just saw that you listed both June 9 and 10 as Grad Nights 🙁 Looks like we will be going to Disneyland and DCA on June 11 and 12. LOL. . . Thank You So Much for all the Amazing Info!!! You have been an incredible help and we all are getting more and more excited every day! THANK YOU!

It’ll be our first trip to Disneyland (we will be there June 9-10) and your website has been SUPER USEFUL! We have two daughters (age 6 and 9), and we are planning on doing the Princess Lunch at Ariel’s Grotto. Would you recommend buying the Premier Character Dining ($48 for adults, $28 for children) on the Park Savers website, or through Disney’s website directly? If we purchase the tickets using Park Savers website, do we still need to contact Disney via their website/call and reserve our date/time for lunch? I am a little confused/concerned how buying the Premium Character Dining on Park Savers will work.

I actually just partnered with Get Away Today and recommend using them for booking your trip – character dining included. You’ll purchase the vouchers from them (or Disney if you prefer) and need to reserve through Disney separately.

Check out this link and let me know what questions you have. They have a great support system on their site, too, for questions. We are both available to help.

Hi Casey,
We are coming from Australia for a once in a lifetime family holiday in July. We will have a 3 day park hopper ticket. My 5 year old daughter is princess mad and my 8 year old (and me!) is more into Winnie the Pooh and Minnie. So I was thinking, based on your wonderful recommendations, of going to Ariels Grotto for lunch one day (what time do you recommend?) and then Minnie’s for the 10.30 breakfast on the day we use our early morning entry. Are 2 character dining meals in our short time there using up to much of park (ride) time? Would one be sufficient? What would you recommend? Thanks!!

One or both would be fine. 10:30am is ideal for Minnie’s. I would make the lunch for around 1:00pm if possible. That way, you can focus on the morning hours that are less busy in the parks. Both are great for your family, based on what you’re interested in. Enjoy!

Hi Casey,
When planning a vacation pkg directly with Disney, they are charging $120 for 2 kids and 2 adults at a regular character dining experience and $152 for the premium experience at Goofy’s Kitchen or Ariel’s. This seems high compare doing to the prices you quote. They do not give details either on what is included (tax and tip?). Do you know anything about this?

Vouchers bought from Disney do include tax and tip, which will be added on at the time you pay at each meal. I encourage you to do the math to see if it’s worth buying the vouchers. Some people like that they’ll be paid for before their visit. I would rather not spend the extra money.

We went to Minnie’s Breakfast last November and sat in the worst spot in the place. We were tucked in a corner to the left and EVERY character passed my son up. He was so sad and didn’t now why they were not seeing him. I was so angry my blood was boiling, my husband went and spoke with a Cast Member and they were VERY sympathetic. They specially escorted every character to my sons table first and Chip even brought him a rose. It sucked that we had to waste a hour + waiting to make sure we seen all the characters, especially since theres a few not in the parks (Pearla, Suzy, Geppetto ect) but I’m glad they made up for it. I wish after the second character we would have said something.

Hi Casey,
I’m in all out planning mode for our DLR trip from Australia in May, and am planning on following your advice to book Minnie’s Breakfast at 10:30am to make the most of the park beforehand. As it’s my daughter’s 11th birthday the day we are planning our character meal, my sister’s family will be joining us. What I wanted to know is – do you have to reserve a place for infants? There will be a 1 year old and a 3 year old included in our party of 8.
Many thanks! Now off to scour your site for more planning 🙂

Hi, Brooke. Make the reservation to include the infant, but you won’t have to pay. Only children 3 and up require payment. Always make the reservation count to include everyone , though, so that seating is accounted for. Hope that helps!

Thanks for the update to this topic! We dined at Surf’s Up Mickey in June 2016, and we saw Mickey, Minnie, Stitch, Pluto, Donald and Daisy! It was a fabulous experience. Character dining is probably one of my favorite attractions at DL and DW. My 3 yr old was so in awe of Mickey…and the attention he gave all of my children will be remembered forever by me. I think we’ll check out Minnie’s breakfast and Ariel’s Grotto our next trip! Love your blog!

Great overview! We did Ariel’s Grotto last year and had lots of fun. This year (we’re going on two weeks) we have Blue Bayou reservations, but now it says Pirates is going to be closed so I’m worried it won’t be the same atmosphere. I’m thinking about maybe doing another character meal instead, but it’s too late for Minnie’s breakfast reservations. It looks like Storytellers still has openings? Can you acces the hotel entrance/exit that goes right into CA Adventure to eat there, or can you only use that entrance if you are staying at the hotel? In other words, would we have to completely walk around in order to get to breakfast there, or could we go through the park? Thanks for any insight!

Hi, Larry. I’m not sure what you’re asking, but I’m happy to help. The turnstiles to DCA from the GCH are for all park guests after 11:00am. Cast members may stop you before that time if you do not have an activated key from a DLR hotel.

You may get to Storyteller’s via the entrance to the hotel from downtown Disney between Anna and Elsa’s Boutique and Sephora. Security changes went into effect 12.15.2016.

That’s what I was asking. I’ve never tried to use that turnstile before 11:00am so I was asking if it was no longer available. You answered that is is, after 11:00am, but for breakfast folks, or diners before that time, entry is only from Downtown Disney unless you are a hotel guest. Thanks for the heads up.

Great post! We’ve done both Minnie’s Breakfast and the Princess Celebration at Ariel’s Grotto. They are both wonderful, although I like the food quality at Ariel’s Grotto a little more, personally. We were at Ariel’s Grotto in late December and the characters included were Ariel (photos at entrance only, she doesn’t come around to the tables), Aurora, Cinderella, Tiana and Belle. At Minnie’s last summer we saw Minnie, Chip & Dale, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, Tigger, Captain Hook and Eeyore. It was easier to move around at Minnie’s, since it’s a buffet, whereas with Ariel’s Grotto, if you’re up from your table much you’ll be in the way of the characters and servers. Something to consider with small kids. We had a wonderful time at both experiences and would definitely do them again.

Hi! My family is planning a trip in March to Disneyland, and we have the 3 day hopper tickets. Is it possible to book a breakfast at plaza inn before the park opens? We are Not staying at a Disney resort so will not have early entrance to the park. But is it possible to take advantage of an earlier breakfast reservation? I note in other comments it is beneficial to eat breakfast later, and enjoy the rides when it is less busy – but if I don’t have early entry privelidges, does that still apply? Thanks!

I always recommend a later breakfast so that you can enjoy the earlier hours – regardless of whether you have extra magic hour or magic morning. The initial hours after regular park entry are good, either way. But, if you want to go early, you may make a reservation at either park, even if you don’t have the early entry privilege. Just show your reservation confirmation at the gate noted for such when you arrive. Once they confirm your reservation, you’ll be let in. Enjoy!

We’re planning a day at DL in April. The park hours haven’t been released yet but it’s a “value” day which seems to indicate the park won’t open until 10am that day. If that’s the case would you recommend skipping Minnie’s breakfast at the Plaza Inn? Or do they normally have breakfast times available for before the park opens? Thanks for all the helpful info!

April typically has hours before 10am. I would plan on a 9:00am opening, in which case I would make a 10:30am reservation. With a 9:00am opening, you’ll likely be allowed in by 8:30am to browse Main Street. Then, Rope Drop will happen at 9:00am, officially opening the rest of the park. Spend 1.5 hours getting stuff done and then break for breakfast at Minnie’s.

Another option is to dine before park opening, as you suggested. If that’s available, go for it. Just try to avoid missing that first true hour after official park opening. You can get so much done at that time.

I’ll be visiting the parks around Valentine’s Day next year and the only thing my 5yo wants to do at Disneyland is meet Ariel. So I have been stalking Ariel’s Grotto online reservations each day when the 60th day out’s availability opens to get an idea of how quickly I need to be there to purchase. But everyday, they only offer me 11:30am or 1pm with nothing in between. Are there people out there with seriously fast fingers or are those times just not available for online booking?

Hard to tell. Have you called? I would try to call to see if there are other options if you want to know now. Or wait for your timing and definitely call if your time is showing online. Not sure why, but they often have more availability when you can than what shows online.

Hi, I was just wondering if I book an early morning breakfast such as 8:30 on a magic hour day do I need to use my magic hour for this or will they let me in without it. Was looking at going to Plaza inn for breakfast with Minnie. Thanks

Hi, Sarah. You do not need a magic morning or EMH to visit the park for a character meal. There is a gate noted for reservations. Just have your confirmation with you and they’ll let you in a few minutes prior to your reservation time.

This post is great! I’m curious though how I can get the price you quoted for Minnie’s Breakfast. Looks like it should be $100 for 2 adults and 2 kids, but when trying to add that onto my GetAwayToday reservation, it says I’m “saving $20” but the total still comes out to $116. Not quite as good as yours 😉 I’m not necessarily asking about my reservation lol Just curious if I’ll find discrepancies like that based on where I purchase tickets. Where can I purchase the tickets for the best deal?

From what I have heard from many readers, Getaway Today marks up their prices greatly. No reason to purchase meal vouchers outside of Disney. The prices I show here in this post are what the park will charge you. Just simply make a reservation with Disney and pay on site.

Well shoot. I guess I’ll keep that in mind for next time! Thanks for letting me know. Is there a way to purchase a voucher for the meal prior to our reservation? I like to prepay as much as I can, but I suppose I could just purchase Disney gift cards and designate those to the meal. I think I’ll be making our reservations for our first day in the park, at 10am like you suggested.

No way to purchase vouchers. That’s how lots of companies get people to pay more. 🙁 You’ll know better next time! Use my estimates for your meals or let me know if I can price anything else for you. Then, buy gift cards and label them. You’re awesome for planning so far ahead!

Thank you! 🙂 I think I might have everything figured out thanks to your posts. If you plan on posting anything along the lines of, “How to Convince Your Husband That Multiple Character Meals Are a Good Idea” then I could use that lol

Love this breakdown of the dining options! Thank you so much! I was curious what the best plan of attack is for those of us with infants? No stroller + a buffet meal seems like mom isn’t going to get to eat. Lol. Help!!

Good question. I recommend bringing in the carrier of your travel system stroller if you have that. Give the baby a place to rest so you can maybe have a bite or two. 🙂 I’ve even used an ergo before. Hope you enjoy it!

I love your website and feel so prepared for our trip to Disney Land. It will be my first time (30 yrs old) and my son’s (3 yrs old). I have even used your info to create our “Disney” binder. We signed up for the Minnie Mouse breakfast in the park per your recommendation but wondered if you had any other suggestions for dinner options. Where would you suggest we eat and what time? Note that we will be there for 3 days and will utilize the nap in the afternoon. Thanks again for all of your helpful tips!

Hi!y I am a 26 year old and going to cali with my husband.I am looking to do Chip n’ Dale breakfast, and was wondering if you suggest doing it at 7AM right before we go to Disneyland or try to do it at 11:15 so we can go to the park in the morning when it opens to do Indiana Jones, Pirates and Buzz lightyear? Also we are celebrating my birthday there and am unsure how to let the dinning people know since I did the reservations through the Disney website.

Hi, Gaby. I recommend the later time. Don’t miss hours early in the day with less crowds. Break as late as possible for your meal to escape the crowds when they get busy. You’ll get lots done at park opening! Buzz Lightyear currently has the only “disconnected” FASTPASS, meaning, you can hold it and any other in the park, so don’t miss that opportunity. And, definitely let Storyteller’s and any other restaurant know that you’re celebrating your birthday. Enjoy!

I have booked reservations for 10 at the Minnie & Friends Breakfast. I was wondering, does the Disneyland park restaurants charge gratuity for a party that large? I am trying to get a better idea of how much everything will cost for my daughter’s Sweet 16 at Disneyland.

Great question. Gratuity is added for tables of 8 or more at table service restaurants. Minnie and Friends at the Plaza Inn is completely self-serve. While you don’t actually have a “server”, you are not expected to leave a tip. I still do each time, especially if I make a connection with the server, but it’s not required and shouldn’t be included in a reservation of any size.

Servers at meals like this don’t have formal roles such as table service restaurants, but they still work hard to clear tables and keep guests happy. You’re a good egg in my book for asking such. Hope you enjoy your visit.

Hi Casey, thank you for all of your amazing tips! Quick question: we will be traveling to Disneyland the week of 11/21-11/25 – we will purchase either the 4 or 5 day hopper and are bringing our 2.5 year old. We want to do the character breakfast – given the park will be busy (Thanksgiving timeframe) would it be best to do the breakfast on Thanksgivng day or would recommend another day? How busy is it on the holiday? We plan to arrive 1 hour before opening to take advantage of the morning hours. We will also have 1 magic morning and was wondering if I should use that for Thanksgivng day?

Magic Morning on Thanksgiving will help with the crowds. It’s very busy that day, but fun! I recommend scheduling character meals on busy days to escape the crowds. Use your Magic Morning on Thanksgiving at Disneyland and then schedule the latest time possible at The Plaza Inn for Minnie’s Breakfast in the Park. Enjoy!

Hi Casey! I’m wondering how you feel about the character dining add-ons to the reservation package. The cost of those seems to be about $10 or so higher than what it would cost to eat at those restaurants without the add-on, going from the pricing that you listed for each meal in this post. Is it just the difference in tax, do you think? Do you suggest adding on one of those meals to our package before going? Thanks!

I wonder if she means the one character dinner you can add to a reservation. I was wondering the same thing: the character dining voucher doesn’t seem like a good deal unless it includes tax and tip and the regular prices don’t.

Are you buying a character dining voucher from an agency? Many increase the prices on them. Check the fine print to see what that includes. No reason to buy anywhere but through Disney unless it’s a better deal.

Help! I’m so excited but also overwhelmed. We bought a package that includes one character dining experience. I really want Ariel’s Grotto, but I’m concerned about timing. We are coming from Central Time Zone, so if we do a breakfast and it doesn’t start until 10am, that’s like noon for them, but I don’t know how psyched they’ll be about a “second breakfast.” I would love to do an earlier character breakfast at Paradise Pier, but I’m trying to work out the logistics. We are staying in a Good Neighbor Hotel near the main park entrance. Would we have to drive over and park in downtown disney for the breakfast? And if we drive over, do we have to drive back to our hotel before entering the park or can we enter from the paradise pier?

Amanda – a couple tips… 1st – don’t worry about the time difference. We come every year from out east and the kids forget the 3 hr time difference within 36 hours of landing. 2nd – check whether your package comes with premium character dining or regular character dining. Ariel’s Grotto is a premium character dining. The food is good – especially at lunch. We do it every year, as you get to meet with each of the princesses at your table (however you can do this without the meal over at Disneyland and the line is usually fairly short). Our kids prefer the Breakfast with Minnie in the Disneyland Park over this one, many more characters stop in. And in case your package does not have the premium character dining, Breakfast with Minnie is a regular character dining. Lastly, as mentioned – don’t drive. Most hotels are within a 20 minute walk and the resort area is very walkable – it is NOT like Disney World. If you simply can’t walk it, take ART. If you drive, you still have to get parked and take a tram or bus to the park gates. ART picks up at most hotels and drops right at the Disneyland gates. Hope this helps.

Hi Casey! Thanks so much for the great info on your website and FB page. Would love your recommendation – I am taking my 6yr old daughter for one-day whirlwind visit on a weekday in early Nov. My plan is to go to DCA – we missed Anna & Elsa when we went to MK during Easter this year and I hoped to squeeze it in before she outgrows princess magic. Plus, DCA is brand new to me! I’d like to do one add-on but am having trouble choosing between a character meal at Ariel’s Grotto or getting the Park Hopper option so we can check out DL as well. Which extra would you recommend? One note: she’s not a fan of fast motion-rides, so our must-see attractions is probably shorter than most.

This post helped me to decide to do the Chip ‘n Dale critter breakfast. It was FANTASTIC! We did it late on departure day, and characters visited our table multiple times. The chipmunks played with my daughter so much. After 3 days in the park of not speaking to a single character ( not even her beloved princesses), she would not stop talking to them! I have the best photos and videos from our entire trip of this breakfast. I’d say recommend to those even if they haven’t done the classic meals. My daughter said she liked this better than Ariel’s a Grotto! Also, we saw Pluto and Kenai in addition to Chip ‘n Dale.

I’m not sure about other meals, but they charged automatic 15% at Ariel’s Grotto for our party of 4. We weren’t charged any automatic gratuity for party of 4 ar Storyteller’s. I don’t know about Disneyland, but I think automatic 18% for parties of 6 or more is standard at many restaurants.

I have a trip planned for November with a 2 year old. We have character dining reservations at Ariel’s Grotto and we still have to decide on another. My question is if two year old are free then how do they eat? Are they expected to share with us or will we be able to order her a meal? I know Ariel’s Grotto is not a buffet so I was just a little confused on how this works. Thanks!!

Good question. Your 2 year old can eat at any buffet on her own. For Ariel’s, she can eat off your plate, but if you want her to have her own meal, you will need to order from the kids menu. It’s not required, however. She can dine with you without paying.

I’ve heard that some people pre-purchase tickets for character meals (eg through Get Away Today). But based on your post, it seems that these pre-purchases tickets are more than what they charge at the restaurant. I’m confused, why would anyone pre-purchase and what are your thoughts on doing that versus just going and paying the price at the restaurant? Thanks!

Most often, the vouchers from Get Away Today will save you a few dollars per person at each meal. Occasionally, you’ll break even. Most guests buy the vouchers for the small savings and then also to have this part of your trip paid for in advance. It’s nice to have each meal already paid for prior to entering and it’s lovely to not have to fuss with the tax and tip.

Also, buying vouchers ahead of time locks you into the pricing that you pay now…….and if the character meal pricing increases prior to your visit, it’s no problem for you since you’ve already paid.

Casey really sorry as I know you’ve covered this but am panicking! We are thinking we’ll do the Minnie breakfast at the Plaza at 8am on a day the park opens at 9am (we won’t have early entry tickets as we are just getting two day tickets). Will we be okay to get in? Thank you.

Thanks Casey. We’re also considering late lunch (pre-schooler dinner) at Ariel’s Grotto at 4.40pm on one of our days. Would we still see plenty of princesses at this time and how long will we have? Thanks again.

Hi Casey, so sorry if you already answered this but I wanted to clarify. Since Goofy’s Kitchen is in Disneyland Hotel can we go there on a day we are not using our park ticket? We get there on Thursday afternoon but will be using our park tickets Friday-Sunday. We thought it would be fun to have one of our Character meals on Thursday evening. Thanks!

We are going to DLR this Thanksgiving, Black Friday and that Saturday. We want to do a Minnie and Friends, Goofy’s for Dinners but not sure which day. Any recommendations? I was thinking EMH on Thursday and do a late breakfast at Minnie’s. I know it’s gong to be crowded and wan to make the most of our time.

If you go to a character meal toward the end of the time the restaurant is open, will character interaction be limited or is that built into the timing? We are contemplating a late afternoon Ariel dining reservation, which should work as dinner for my kids who are 2 hours behind time-zone wise. At WDW, we noticed that a very early Akershus breakfast reservation was way more fun than a late lunch one, but we also showed up a bit late for lunch due to Soarin’ taking a bit longer than we anticipated (which we should have known, having ridden the ride several times before).

If you are on time, regardless of when your time is, the character interaction should be good. They won’t set your time when characters are on their way out. I typically do the latest option at Minnie’s and always see everyone. You’ll be just fine!

I’m very excited to be heading to DLR for the last week of the 60th celebration in August and am working on touring and dining plans. I’m wondering if the prices listed here are current – they seem so much lower than prices at WDW character meals! Any updates on the pricing would be much appreciated. Ariel’s Grotto is a must, and I’ve booked the Frozen pre-show package, so wondering how much more we could squeeze out of the budget.

Hi Casey,
We will be visiting for the first time in late September and celebrating our son’s 5th birthday there on our second day (plan to get a 3 day park hopper with first day at CA, second – his birthday at DL and third doing whatever the kids want to do again) I really want to book a character dining experience on his birthday. Initially thinking of doing this for dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen. Do you have any better suggestions for a special character filled birthday dinner? We are staying close by but off site and our hotel provides breakfast so we are not interested in doing any character breakfasts. Would it be wiser to do a character lunch and then something else like the blue bayoo package for dinner instead? Or Minnies for ‘brunch’ and then dinner at Goofy’s? What would you do dining wise if you were celebrating a child’s birthday? I have also read somewhere that you can pre arrange a birthday cake to be brought out too. Is this correct? Thinking of doing Ariel’s grotto for lunch on day 1 when we are at CA as our older child (daughter) loves the princesses. Day 3, we have no dining options planned as yet. Thank you 🙂

Goofy’s Kitchen is actually your only dinner character dining option at Disneyland. The others include breakfast or lunch. I highly recommend a Paint the Night package like Blue Bayou, so that dining package would be a good option to pair with a character meal another day. I also love Aladdin’s Oasis for Paint the Night, but that wouldn’t be a big birthday celebration spot.

My favorite character meal is Minnie’s in the Park and I think it’s the best spot to celebrate a birthday. If I were to pick for you, I would choose brunch at Minnie’s (10:30am) and dinner at Blue Bayou for the Paint the Night package. You can find more on the PTN packages in this post:

Which of the character dining experiences are premium and which are regular? I wanted to attend Goofy’s Kitchen (since I’m considering staying at that hotel) and thought it would be a good thing to do the night we got in. Is that a regular character dinner or a premium one? I was considering buying tickets in advance from the Get Away Today site but I wasn’t sure which was which. 🙂

Premium meals are Goofy’s and Ariel’s Grotto. I actually prefer Minnie’s more than any. Check the pricing on Get Away Today, too, and compare with the parks. I’ve had a few readers tell me that the park price was actually less expensive.

Hi
I tried to book a table at Plaza Inn and no times available would we still be able to potentially get a table without a reservation. Taking a 3 year for the first time. Or would you recommend Goofys Kitchen?

It’s possible to get a table without a reservation, but I wouldn’t count on that entirely. Goofy’s Kitchen is a great option. I prefer Surf’s Up, though, instead. Mickey is there! Great option to see him. And they have a dance party.

I just tried to make a reservation for the Minnie and Friends breakfast but there isn’t any time slots available. What is your second choice? I have 2 year old and 3.5 year old boys, so they’re not into princesses. This is our first trip and want a character meal. We are staying at the Grand California. Thank you!

Hi, Melissa! My second choice is Surf’s Up! with Mickey and Friends at the Paradise Pier Hotel. Mickey is there and they do a dance party. The energy is lots of fun. This is also the only option with Mickey. Hope that works out!

Hi Casey,
I am considering doing a second character dining at Surf’s Up with Mickey and Friends but because this is off site, I do not know if it is still quite a walk to get to/from the park? I have read people crossing over and going through GCA but do you know if non guests will be able to go through here if we have a scheduled character breakfast or have finished our character breakfast. I have a 7 yr and a 2 yr old and can expect end of Aug to be super hot and crowded. Thanks in advance!

Surf’s Up! is in the Paradise Pier Hotel. You may absolutely walk through the Grand Californian to get there and back. No one will know if you’re a hotel guest or not. That will certainly cut down on your walk time, too. Just an fyi, though….August is not always super hot here like most other parts of the country. Our high is 89 and low 65 and the mornings and nights can be chilly, so be sure to look at the weather before you arrive and pack sweaters for morning and night. Enjoy your visit!

We are coming end of October & we are DW veterans, so DL is new to us. Does the Minnie breakfast give an option of early entry to the park if you have “early” reservations like DW does? We love entering MK with early breakfast reservations to take pics w/o zillion people around and would love to do the same at DL. 😉

Hi Casey. Your website is so helpful for planning our August 2016 trip with our 3 year old, thank you. I have read the post and the comments and still have a question for you. Have you done dinner at Goofy’s character meal? I am trying to maximize our park time and maybe go on one of our off days for dinner. What are your thoughts? One other question, I see you really favor Minnie in the park, but what would be your favorite between Goofy and Mickey at PCH? Thanks for your help!!

An off site option is definitely good for a non-park day. I prefer Surf’s Up! because of the character interaction and because Mickey is typically there. Goofy’s is fun, too. I just like the others more. Enjoy!

Hi Casey! im planning our first trip to Disneyland and your site has been so great! What is the schedule like for the Minnie breakfast? What I mean is, do they clear out the dinning area and then let the next group in, or is it just like a regular restrant where you leave as you’re done eating? Also what is the timing like? Do you get an hour from your reservation time? I was looking at doing the 10:30am breakfast like you suggested, but I want to have plenty of time for eating and greeting. 🙂 Thank you!!

Hi, Ashley. I’ve done all the character meals at Disneyland and the only one that I’ve seen on a schedule is Ariel’s Grotto. The princesses are quite a production and are introduced before mingling. So, those times are more staggered and your time slot is designed to work with their appearances. The others are more laid back and the characters come and go while you dine. There is no strict time limit that I’ve seen really. I love the 10:30am time slot because most breakfasts end around 11:30am. 10:30am gives you enough time to get a lot done in the parks prior to dining and then you’re left an hour before the characters take off. If you are concerned with that time frame, make it 10:00am. Minnie’s is the best! Enjoy it.

Anything special?
We want to do Napa Rose for one of them (likely Christmas Eve). The other we would like a character meal outside of the parks. We are doing Storyteller for Christmas morning breakfast. So either Goofy or PCH. Do they have special meals?

Napa Rose is lovely and would be a perfect Christmas Eve meal. Many people like Goofy’s Kitchen. I actually prefer the PCH Grill. However, my favorite of all 5 options is Minnie’s in the Park. It has the most characters and the best interaction from my experience.

Hi Casey! I’ve heard rumors that recently DL has decreased both the number and the “randomness” of characters at meals. We were really looking forward to a character meal in Disneyland and were considering Plaza and Goofy’s, but we didn’t want to waste a park day for breakfast on our last day at Plaza. If we do Goofy’s, will we have that true Disneyland experience? Character meals at Disney World (where we’re used to going) are so pre-set in terms of characters. TIA for your advice!

DLR is just as set on the characters that appear at meals as WDW. So you should be ok there – expecting those I list with each option in this post. DLR character meals are superior to WDW in my opinion, with much better interaction. I recommend the Plaza for the best experience. Don’t waste early hours with the meal. Instead, schedule it for around 10:30am and break when the crowds start to arrive. You will love the escape and won’t miss out on too much park time. Grab a FASTPASS before sitting down! Regarding the random characters, most have been spotted in the parks, in an attempt to keep guests happy during all the refurbishments and changes with Star Wars Land construction.

I was wondering if you can help me with some suggestions, regarding that Im traveling with my 2 years old girl on march. I have these questions -and it would be super helpful your oppinion-:
1. definitely im going to Disneyland, its better to go one day or two days, for this park only??
2. would my daughter have fun in the other park CA? its worth it FOR HER?
3. which dinning experience would you reccomend for her? she loves princceses and the mickey mouse typical characters.

I always recommend 2 days at Disneyland and 1 at California Adventure. Both parks are great for her. Favorite character dining in DLR is Minnie’s Breakfast. Your daughter will enjoy Ariel’s Grotto, too. Enjoy it all!

I have been trying to estimate the costs we will have in two weeks for food expenses. I have a couple character meals planned and prepaid for one through Getawatoday. Comparing what I paid and what their cost is for the meals and what you have posted here, I overpaid! Just wondering how recent the cost of the meals was updated. Thanks.

Hi Casey,
Thanks so much for putting up this information – it’s great!
I’m heading to Disneyland this May with my partner, it’s my 28th birthday while we are there and I was wanting to do a character breakfast – for the older age would you suggest one over the others? I have always loved princesses so would Ariel be best?
Also would there be a dinner suggestion you would suggest for my birthday night – Blue Bayou?
Thank you!

I recommend the Paint the Night Blue Bayou dining experience for you on your birthday. Enjoy Blue Bayou and then get premier seating for the parade. Perfect night! My favorite character breakfast is Minnie’s in the Park, for young and old. Ariel’s is fun, too. Enjoy and happy early birthday!

I am going to Disneyland with my partner only (no children) in May this year – 4 days hopper pass. One of the days is my birthday (28 but still Disney obsessed). I was thinking about doing a character breakfast on this day, I have always loved the princesses but it seems that you think the wider character group would be better? It might be better to get the wider experience?

Also a bit off topic, but would you recommend somewhere that would be lovely for a birthday dinner?

Hi Casey! I LOVE your blog- so helpful! We will be in DL 1/18-1/22 and would love to schedule one more character meal. Kids are 5 and 15months. I have already booked the Story Tellers character breakfast for the day we leave as we do not have DL tickets for that day. What would you recommend for a second CM? And is there a particular day you would recommend going? Thanks!

Help what is the best character meal for boys 9-11yrs. They want Avengers not princesses or what my son would call “baby” characters. (Please don’t hate on me for the baby remark. It is a tough age) I did waffles with. Pooh and Tigger last time and I loved it. But he also metioned he is scared of the non person characters. Please help! Should I just take him to the Medieval diner down the street?

Hi, Nikki. I won’t hate you! I understand. I recommend Minnie and Friends as the most convenient and easiest breakfast due to its location. It also has the best character interaction. There are no meals with Avengers so far. Wish there were!

We are coming January 13-15 and don’t see how I can reserve Minnie’s breakfast in the park???? Sounds to me like that is the one to get if that is the only character meal I am doing. My son is 7 and we are going with my parents.

Hello thank you for this article. We are going January 10th, 11th and 12th. I have a regular character meal ticket I already bought. I was thinking of doing the Minnie and friends breakfast in the park. Do you need early morning tickets for the meal if I get there when they first open in the morning? And is that a good character meal for a 3 year old boy and a 3 month old boy?

Yes. This is my absolute favorite meal. I recommend enjoying it around 10:30am, an hour prior to closing. Take advantage of the park when it’s less crowded and then dine once the people really start to come in (around 10am each day). Enjoy!

Great info! I’d prefer to have a character breakfast that is NOT breakfast since breakfast is included at my hotel. Sounds like Goofy’s Kitchen may work best. I have 5 kids (11, 9, 6, 3, 3)… my worry is that a buffet may be tough with so many little kids. 2 adults carrying 7 plates? Advice?

Thank you for your posts! You helped so much with our first Disneyland vacation (I’m actually blogging about it now and referencing this post!). I wanted to let you know that the Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey and Friends link isn’t working. Thanks again!!

Hi Casey! I am suprising my daughter with a trip to Disneyland in a little over a week. I just finished reading your “How To… For princess lovers” I would love to take her to Ariel’s Grotto for lunch but we aren’t getting the park hopper passes. Do we have to get the hopper passes to go to ariel’s grotto since its in California adventure?

Also, I have been looking at your day plans for little kids and bigger kids. Just wondering if by little kids you meant toddlers/pre-schoolers? While my daughter LOVES the princesses, she also quite the thrill-seeker and is quite tall for her age. 49 inches. Would the big kids day plan work better for her? I just want her to have the ultimate Disney experience 🙂

I’ve never been to Disneyland and your website has really helped a lot but, I still feel a little panicked!

Any advice you could pass along would be sooooo helpful. In the meantime I will keep reading 🙂

Casey, this site is fantastic! You’ve answered questions I didn’t even know I had, and alleviated a lot of the stress of planning a trip. Me and my best friend (both girls in our 20s), are going to Disney for her birthday in March. I’ve been considering character dining, as this is something I’ve never done before, but I’m concerned that we won’t get to interact with the characters as much as families with small kids. Should we skip the characters and do something aimed more toward our age group, like The Blue Bayou? Thank you!

I think character meals are good for all ages. They don’t discriminate. You’ll get plenty of interaction. I actually did one breakfast by myself and had every character at my table! Blue Bayou is lovely, too. I’d consider both options and do both if you can.

Hi there. I loved reading your article. We are going to be going to Disneyland over Christmas this year (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). We would love to do at least one if not more character breakfasts. Are there any that you would recommend for Christmas morning? Thanks so much.

Minnie’s Breakfast in the Park is my all time favorite. It has the most characters, the best character interaction and the setting is lovely. Recommend! Book it as soon as your 60 day mark arrives. Those days are super busy.

My wife and I are flying in and have goofys kitchen already planned… we are wanting to do 1 more charachter meal and are trying to figure it out… we have done breakfast at the plaza in before so leaning toward chip n dale or Ariels grotto…. we are celebrating our 5th anniversary so we want it to be super special… got photo pass plus, doing Halloween tour and party… excited for Disney Starbucks swag as we are from Seattle area!! What do you think?? Love the princesses, but also b love all the other characters… not sure what to do!?! How to make this the most spectacular anniversary trip yet!!

I LOVE Storytellers. The setting is gorgeous, the food is divine (try the French toast) and the characters are unusual and interactive. Very different from the standard line up. I recommend Chip n Dale!

Hi. This is a great website to seek for advice for a real Disneyland Experience.
I am taking my 4yr old girl for her first time, and I want to make it really special for her. Just mom and daugther. The day will be December 05 of 2015 (Saturday).
I am going to get the PhotoPass+ and the Minnies and Friends Character Dinning at 10:30am. I would like to ask for tips to enhance this day.
Oh. And prices. How much is the dinning? For Fantasmic, do I really need to get a fastpass? Is it best to get me the Grab-and-go Oasis restaurant to get a fastpass and see fantasmic?
Thank you in advance. You are all so kind.

Minnie and Friends at 10:30am is perfect. Explore the park and use those early hours to ride and enjoy less crowds. The Oasis dining experience comes with the same FASTPASS that you can get for free if you simply pull the FASTPASS from the machine on Big Thunder Trail. I really recommend the Blue Bayou or River Belle Terrace options if they’re in your budget. You can find more on those here:

Hi Casey!
I love reading all of your posts and they have been so helpful in our planning for our upcoming trip. I do need some expert advice. We will be in DLR the week of Thanksgiving, we leave back home on Friday afternoon, so I am trying to make the most of our last day there. We already pre-purchased our character meal through disney travel and are staying in the DLH. This being said, I know we should get a magic hour that friday. My question is: which would be the best option for a breakfast that morning, 7am @ Storytellers and then spend the day in CA, or enter park early and eat breakfast @ 9:30 at Ariel’s grotto.

I love Storyteller’s (my favorite), however, I think it’s best to take advantage of early hours and ride, ride, ride before you dine. So, my vote is for Ariel’s Grotto. That’s about when the crowds arrive. You’ll enjoy the reprieve and love to sit down for a while. Enjoy!

Hi we went to Ariel’s Grotto this past March and were surprised, but they’ve actually change the way they do the lunch menu the appetizers and desserts are not family style anymore?. Not sure when this changed we previously went two years earlier and it was amazing I don’t really like the change and from what I understand the cast members don’t really like the change it’s more difficult for them because they have to give everybody individual desserts and take orders and everything the old way was much better. The princess experience was still amazing we got to see Tiana and Pocahontas which are to that we had never seen before. If you ever see Mérida anywhere please let us know she is the only one we have not seen throughout the park.

I’m sorry you didn’t like the new set up, Shauna. Seems like Disney is always changing things around to see what people like! Merida can be found in Fantasy Faire, often interchanging with Rapunzel. See this post for more details:

Casey, I’m thinking about reserving a dining package for Fastamic! Is it worth the money and is one restaurant better than the other. I’m leaning towards the Blue Bayou. How far is the viewing area from the restaurants? Is it standing? thx again! b

Fantasmic! packages are absolutely worth it. Blue Bayou is my favorite. You’ll have the best seating, will receive a souvenir foam cushion to sit on and will totally enjoy the experience. You can read more about it, see the food, and more at this post:

Hello,
I have another question for you! If dining at the Disneyland Hotel and not going into the park, do you have any recommendations for parking? My Mom has issues with walking too far and usually rents an ECV in the park, so the closer the better. I saw that you can park at the hotel for a fee, do you know if a premium annual pass would cover that fee? Downtown Disney is an option but with it being a Sunday night that we are going, I feel like that parking lot would be pretty full.

Passholders have no benefits for parking other than in the designated lots – Premium passholders can park for free at any of them. I usually park at Mickey and Friends and then you could walk over to the Disneyland Hotel. However, if it’s full, you’ll be pushed over to Puumba or Toy Story and have to shuttle in. Here’s another option: park in Downtown Disney for free for up to 3 hours. You’ll be surprised at how people come and go. Or, even better, Uber! Forget about parking and Uber instead.

I am looking into Goofy’s Kitchen and Minnie’s Breakfast. I have a 4yo girl and 2yr boy, my daughter can tend to be a little wary when it comes to costume characters. I’m wondering if you think it would be best to start out our trip with a character meal to get her familiar with them or wait until middle or end of our trip when she has had a chance to see them from afar first. We will have a 5 day pass, staying 7 days total.

I recommend Minnie’s at the latest possible….after the kids become familiar with the park and characters…..usually around 10:30am. This will also allow you a break from the crowds that arrive at that time. Enjoy!

I am looking for info on pre-park opening character breakfasts and there are so many contradicting websites out there. Someone mentioned they could dine at Plaza Inn at 7:00am but when I look online the earliest res is for 8:10 which wouldn’t allow enough time for park opening at 9 I don’t believe. What are my options at ANY character breakfast and are there any that would get us into the park to get pics with the castle without the crowds? Thanks.

Your best bet for trying to accomplish this is to call into the dining line and let them know what they’re trying to do. They have hours that are not published yet. The websites you’re reading are not entirely wrong, but the hours change throughout the year. Here is the phone number and times for the dining line. Call them and speak to them directly about what time/date/etc you’re wanting:

I love character breakfasts but I always tend to go with the cheaper ones since I’m on a budget. I know the prices are never quoted exact, but I would love to go to Goofys Kitchen next time I am there. Do you know if there is a better time of day to go to get the lower end of the price?

hi Casey, I love all your information. We are going in mid-dec this year for 3-4 days with4 adults (1)1 y.o. (1) 2y.o (1)3y.o and (2) 7y.o all girls! So we’re definitely looking for the princess/frozen things among everything else. Would you help me pinpoint a few things for our itinerary that you think we’d enjoy? Thank you

Thoughts on Fantasy Faire vs. Ariel’s Grotto in terms of meeting princesses? I’m just a little hesitant to put a character meal in the middle of our day at the park. I’d rather bookend our trip with a character meals (ie the night we arrive and the morning we leave) which means I’d have to only pick places in the hotels. But if the princess interaction is good at Fantasy Faire (plus seeing Anna & Elsa) I *think* my 6 year old will be good. But wanted your professional opinion.

I recommend – if you want to do Ariel’s Grotto – scheduling it for the latest breakfast time available. That way, you can arrive to the park and enjoy the early hours with less crowds….then settle in to a meal once the people arrive. It’s a great way to enjoy a meal onsite without missing premier times for taking advantage of attractions. Fantasy Faire is a ton of fun and I encourage you to do this with or without the meal. Both parks have great options!

Yes, each option has limited meals…….I’ve listed what is available for each in this post. I recommend doing a late breakfast at PCH or Minnie’s in the Park and arriving before the park opens, enjoying the lower crowds and then relaxing for a meal at the latest time available. Make it a “brunch” if you can.

Is there a place to find the exact prices for the character meals? The menus/info on the Disneyland site is not helpful. We are thinking of the Surf’s Up Breakfast (do they do character dinner there by the way?), but your site says pricing can range from $15-$60. That’s a huge price gap, so we’re just trying to figure out what to expect for adults and kids. Thanks again!

Surf’s Up! only does breakfast, but it’s also the only one where you can see Mickey (most likely), so I suggest it as a good one.

I went to the Disneyland page and didn’t see exact pricing, either. I recall Surf’s Up! adults paying around $30 a meal. I’ll be looking for pricing for each of these now during one of my future trips to include exact dollar amounts. Thanks for the idea.

My favorite is Minnie’s Breakfast in the Park. Schedule it for around 10am and enjoy the early hours without the crowds and then dine once everyone else arrives. Lots of classic characters and great interaction. If you must see Mickey Mouse, he’ll only be found at Surf’s Up! at the PCH Grill and that’s never a 100% guarantee.

It’s not too far of a walk, but you can take the monorail in from Downtown Disney and land in Tomorrowland if you prefer not to walk the entire way. I always like to start at the main entrance, but some people want to avoid the walk.

Hi Casey,
My family is going to DL near the end of September and I wanted to do a character dinner during our stay. We have to 2 boys ages 4 and 8 and the youngest likes the classic characters but does know all the rest too. Where do you suggest we go?
Thanks

Hi Casey,
Awesome site!!! Your info is super helpful.
I’m trying to decide between Goofy’s Kitchen breakfast and the PCH Surf’s Up breakfast. The link on your site doesn’t seem to be working. Could you please advise?
Thank you!

My favorite is Minnie’s Breakfast in the park. Schedule for 10am and ride attractions prior to that…..and then eat once the crowds start arriving – right around 10am. You’ll enjoy the break from the chaos at that point. Enjoy!

Hi there! I have 3 boys, ages 3 (birthday boy), 7, and 10. Is the food selection for breakfast Buffett the same between goofy a kitchen and PCH grill? What time do you suggest I make reservations for on a Saturday?

Hey, this is our first trip to Disneyland. We have a 6yr. old princess and are trying to decide b/w goofy’s kitchen and ariel’s grotto. We are Disney vets and have done CRT in May and were very pleased with that experience. We would like to have an awesome time and great food, any suggestions? Oh and we would only be at the parks for 2 days without the hopper option. Love, Love your website keep up the great work:) Thanks!

Hey Casey, thanks for answering my previous question. My next question would be if we want to do the World of Color with fast pass(not dinner package) what time should we make our reservations for. We are thinking a late lunch that would be our dinner. Any suggestions on times for Ariel’s Grotto? We would be going Tuesday Sept. 22. I read that tip on one of your other post:)
Thanks for all you do!

Allow 1.5 hours for Carthay Circle Restaurant. All other dining options can be about an hour. So, whatever works with your family. I’d call to see what the latest they have for the day you want to visit.

Hi! We are going in October for our anniversary and taking our girls with us – 4 and 20 months, and I originally wanted to do the princess meal bc my 4 year old is obsessed with them- and let’s be honest- I love everything Disney- but I’m not thinking Minnie’s dining experience at the 1030 time slot… Thoughts? I know your blog was about character dining but do you think taking her to the royal hall later to meet princesses will be a good experience but without the mega cost of a meal?

Thank you for such great info! I have 2 girls, 8 and 5. I was thinking of the Surf’s up and then Chip and Dale breakfast’s on separate dates. They have done the princess brunch in Orlando before. Do you think these are good options for that age range?

I do, however, I love Minnie’s Breakfast in the Park more than anything. I think both of your other choices are good, though. The Storyteller’s one is unique with unusual characters. It’s not for everyone, but it’s another of my favorites. Beautiful setting, too.

I love reading your site. Super helpful. I am planning a trip with my boys – 3 and 6 for Jan 2016. It will be their first time going to Disneyland. I am trying to see which character meal would be best. Both boys love Disney and know the characters. I was trying to decide between Goofy’s Kitchen and PCH. I have also been reading a lot of good things about Minnie’s Breakfast recently. I am looking for the best character experience. Thanks. Any suggestions?

Minnie’s is my absolute favorite. It has the best character interaction, it’s conveniently located in the parks and the food is good. Schedule it for about 10am and enjoy your morning hours prior to when the big crowds arrive. By 10pm, the park will be filled and you’ll have a nice escape. Enjoy!

We are thinking of going to goofys kitchen on the day we arrive for supper (heading to the park the next day) i keep seeing varying prices online, how much is it for dinner for adults and a child? is it all buffet food? I’ve seen some tickets for character dinners on third party websites, any suggestions?

Thank you! I think this is the best time possible. Be there prior to open and enjoy a quiet park and then take a break at 10:30am to eat and escape the chaos that arrives at that time. 10:30-11:30 can work as Brunch and an hour is plenty of time for characters. Arrive 10-20 minutes early, just in case, so you get the full hour because they close down at 11:30am.

Your website is incredible!! We are going towards the end of July for 4 days and it will be our first visit. It will be me, my 7 year old daughter and my 18 year old cousin. I will also be celebrating my 30th birthday there and was thinking of doing Goofy’s Kitchen on my birthday but after reading your recommendations I am not sure I want to miss park time so I may switch it to the day before, will they do something special for the birthday or would going a day earlier make a difference? Also, I was just curious if there are there special presentations when the characters enter? is a better time to go to the meals during the character times? Are the characters there for the entire breakfast and lunch times?

Characters will rotate around wherever you dine for autographs and photos. If you don’t want to miss park time, I suggest Minnie’s Breakfast in the Park at Disneyland. Schedule the 10:30am time and enjoy the meal after being at the park before opening and riding rides when it’s less crowded. Then, when lots of people start to show up, you get to escape for a fun meal in the park! Minnie’s has the most characters and the best interaction that I’ve encountered.

I recommend two options for your family. First, Minnie’s Breakfast in the Park is a classic character experience and there’s a lot of interaction. If you’re OK with non-traditional characters, I LOVE Storyteller’s Cafe in the Grand Californian – the Chip n Dale Critter Breakfast features some unusual characters like Meeko and the Brother Bear bears. Let me know if you have any questions!

Can I schedule a Character Meal at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel and not have a ticket for either park that morning? I was going to schedule a breakfast on our last day there before we left but we don’t have park tickets for that day. Thank you.

Hi! We are coming to the park in July, and excited to enjoy our first character dining experience. Our party consist of one 4 yr old, two 6 year olds, a 12 year old (all girls!) and four adults. We were leaning toward the PCH Grill breakfast, but now I’m wondering if we should switch to the Plaza Inn. Thoughts?

Heading there with a bunch of teens and a 5 year old in October. What do you recommend?? Teens are excited about the character meal, but I wanted one that would be good for a wide range of ages, male and female. We have park hopper tickets so we can get to any of the restaurants. Thanks!!!

I go back and forth on my favorites, but I think Surf’s Up is fun for all ages and Minnie’s in the park is, too. Ariel’s would be too princessy and Storyteller’s has unique characters, so for a classic experience, avoid those two. Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel is good.

When I went to Disneyland I had to have breakfast with Chip & Dale I am named after Dale even though I am a girl I also had a birthday party with Mickey & Minnie I was 42 years young I flew from Perth Australia so I had to do it all best holiday ever

we’re planning 3 days at DL and 1 day at CA. We have two character meals (one regular and one premium) We wanted to do Ariels Grotto on a day that we will be at DL, not CA. Will that be a problem? Meaning do we have to be attending the park where the character dining is located on the day of of our character dining?

I have been to Ariel’s grotto 2 and I love the food, and the characters. We went last year and saw Minnie mouse, mulan, ariel is before u sit down, and snow white, and Cinderella. The restaurant is at California adventure. I love this park. Going again in July 2015